HØEB0123FU ØST, The Culture and Literature of Poland (F27)

Volume 2026/2027
Education

Bacheloruddannelsen i østeuropastudier, 2026-ordningen 

Content

This course introduces students to the foundations of Polish cultural history and examines how major cultural developments have shaped historical and contemporary Polish culture. Through the study of a broad range of Polish texts — including literature, film, and popular culture — students will learn to identify key themes and stylistic features and situate them within their broader historical and cultural contexts.

The course develops students’ ability to critically approach both primary cultural texts and secondary scholarship. Students will explore major trends and issues in Polish culture, learning to articulate their ideas clearly in both speech and writing. Emphasis is placed on formulating independent critical questions concerning Poland and applying basic methods of literary and cultural analysis, including close reading, explication, and comparative approaches across different media such as literature, film, and visual arts.

Learning Outcome

Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to demonstrate: 

 

Knowledge of

  • the main characteristics of cultural and literary history of Poland up to the present
  • the principal works/classics of the cultural and literary history of Poland
  • relevant concepts and theoretical approaches for analyzing cultural products, particularly in literature and cinema.

 

Skills in

  • characterizing cultural phenomena, agents and products in relation to the appropriate historical periods
  • identifying the formal and conceptual characteristics of principal cinematic and literary works from Poland  
  • explaining and presenting essential issues in the cultural and literary history of Poland.

 

Competencies in

  • analyzing literary and cinematic works of art
  • applying and adopting an independent and critical approach to primary and secondary sources.

The examiner sets a syllabus of 300–400 standard pages of academic literature, as well as a total of 8 literary fiction or film works from the language area in translation/with subtitles.

Class-based teaching with lectures, discussions, presentations, and writing exercises.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Lectures
  • 0
  • Total
  • 0
Oral
Individual
Collective
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Home assignment, 6-10 standard pages
Oral examination, 10 minutes
Type of assessment details
The ongoing test consists of a 10-minute oral examination and two set home assignments
of 4-5 standard pages each. In total, the two assignments must have a length of 6-10 standard pages.
Weighting: The home assignments count for 50%, and the oral examination counts for 50%.
Exam language: English
Aid
All aids allowed

For rules on generative artificial intelligence, see Study Information.

Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Re-exam

Set oral examination, 30 minutes including assessment. 30 minutes of preparation time. 
Permitted aids: Syllabus and personal notes in physical form.

 

Criteria for exam assesment

See Learning Outcome